This tart has a rich buttery crust made with toasted pecans. The filling is a wonderful combination of sweet pear slices topped with a simple custard made with egg, cream, and
toasted pecans.

Recipe adapted from The Oregonian FOODday Newspaper, October 2, 2007

Ingredients:

Pastry:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup toasted pecans, finely chopped

¼ cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large egg yolk

½ cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon ice water (if needed)

Filling:

3 ripe (but not too soft) Bartlett pears

1 large egg

½ cup whipping (heavy) cream

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

½ cup toasted pecans, finely chopped

Note: See Baking How To's for how to toast nuts. 

Topping:
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Directions:

Pastry:

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, pecans, sugar, salt, and egg yolk. With a pastry blender, cut butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, but holds together when pinched with your fingers. Or, process in a food processor. If pastry is too dry, add 1 tablespoon ice water.   
   
   
2. Press pastry evenly into a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom, patting pastry about ¼ inches above the rim of the pan. Place the pastry-lined tart pan on a large plate and freeze for 30 minutes to firm the dough and help stop pastry from shrinking.
   
   
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place the pastry lined tart pan on a baking sheet, and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until very light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes, leaving the oven set to 375 degrees F.
   
   Filling:
4. While the pastry is cooling, peel the pears, cut in half lengthwise, core and remove stem. Cut each half lengthwise into 6 slices. Arrange slices in a circle in the bottom of the warm baked pastry, overlapping the slices. Set aside.
   
   
5. In a medium bowl, combine egg, whipping cream, and 2 teaspoons sugar; whisk until well blended. Add pecans; whisk to blend.
   
   
6. Pour mixture over pears and into any empty spaces in the shell.  Bake 30 minutes or until filling is set and pears are tender. Remove from oven.
   
   
7. Turn on oven broiler, and arrange oven rack 5 inches or more under the broiler.
   
   Topping:
   
8. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar evenly over the top of the tart. Place tart under broiler 1 to 2 minutes, or until sugar is lightly browned; watch carefully so tart does not burn. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for one hour.
   
   
9. Remove the outer metal ring of the tart pan; slide a thin metal spatula between the bottom crust and the tart pan bottom to release, then slide the tart onto a serving plate. Tart can be baked 6 hours ahead; leave uncovered at room temperature.
   

Serving suggestion: Serve tart either when cooled to room temperature or still slightly warm. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream on top, or serve ala-mode with vanilla ice cream.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

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